Magic triple-layer cakes can turn anyone into Mary Berry with absolutely no effort

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'Magic cakes' split into three different-tasting layers in the oven
Sarah Rainey tests some recipes to see if it's just an illusion
She finds that the cakes are easy to bake, delicious and very impressive

Published: 18:35 EST, 30 September 2015 | Updated: 00:42 EST, 1 October 2015

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Watching The Great British Bake Off week after week, it is hard not to feel intimidated by its spectacular creations.

Pastry horns filled with clouds of whipped cream, desserts that defy gravity - it's enough to make even the most experienced home-baker feel like a flop.

But what if you could bake show-stopping cakes using nothing but a simple mixture made in one bowl? Behold the 'magic cake' as perfected in a new recipe book. Made with egg yolks, sugar, flour, butter, milk and whipped egg whites, the batter splits into three mixtures in the oven, which bake in three layers, each different in colour, texture and taste.

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Sarah Rainey will never be intimidated by Bake Off creations again now she can make magic cakes

At the bottom is a dense, moist base, more like pastry than cake; in the middle is a layer of cream; and on top, an airy genoise sponge.

So how does it work? Unlike ordinary bakes, a magic cake is around 50 per cent liquid, so the separation is down to density.

The heavier ingredients (egg yolks and milk) sink to the bottom of the tin, while the lighter ones (egg whites) rise to the top. Both parts of the egg blend with other ingredients of a similar density to form each cake layer.

The next trick is a chemical process called coagulation, which thickens the cake - but it needs heat to occur. As the cooking temperature for magic cakes is just 150c, compared to 180c for most conventional cakes, the division of layers happens before coagulation can take place.

The cake batter at the bottom cooks at a lower heat than the other two layers and solidifies first. The sponge crust bakes next, followed by the cream, which takes almost an hour to firm up.

The cakes are said to be so delicious that Nigella Lawson has requested a copy of the new book to try them out for herself.

So are they really as magical as they sound? Or is it all just an illusion? I tested five recipes from the book to find out...

TECHNICAL CHALLENGE

This magic vanilla cake was deemed to be fiddly, but worth it as the layers are silky smooth and indulgent

Vanilla cake: This is the original magic cake - a plain sponge flavoured with vanilla, which separates into three creamy layers.

Method: Whisk egg yolks with sugar until the mixture whitens, then add melted butter and flour. Next, split a vanilla pod with a sharp knife, and scrape the seeds into a saucepan of milk to infuse over a low heat.

It's fiddly work and I'm tempted to use liquid vanilla extract, but stick to the recipe.

An hour later, I pour the infused milk into the batter, mixing furiously to combine. I then whisk the egg whites and fold in gently.

What's left is an unappetising, lumpy mixture. It looks more like a bowl of scrambled eggs. Undeterred - the book warns that 'large lumps should remain' as this helps separation - I pour it into a 9.5 in tin.

It needs 50 minutes at 150c, then an hour to cool before turning it out on to a plate.

Looks: When I slice into the cake, the three layers are beautifully distinct, with the vanilla seeds dotting the top sponge only (they're the lightest ingredient).

The genoise is very pale, peppered with tiny holes; the cream is pure white; the base is sunshine yellow and dense like a cheesecake.

Taste: The recipe suggests serving this cold after a few hours in the fridge, to allow the layers to set properly. It is a sensation!

First, the base is silky smooth and deliciously mellow; then, in the middle, a dollop of indulgent cream; and finally, on top, a buttery, melt-in-the-mouth sponge with just the right amount of crunch.

Sorcery score: A trick to keep up your sleeve when Mary Berry comes to tea.

5/5

TEATIME TREAT

While this coffee cake doesn't have an intense taste, the texture is interesting and the layers are clear

Coffee cake: More like a traybake than a cake, this is best served upside-down with the crispy bit on the bottom like a shortbread base and an aromatic coffee top.

Method: Instead of infusing the milk with vanilla, this calls for instant coffee granules, so I heat up what looks like a frothy latte.

As that cools, I make the basic sponge mixture - beating egg yolks with sugar, melted butter and flour. Then I add the coffee mixture, whip up the whites and fold these in as before.

This one doesn't look as lumpy as the vanilla batter, and I worry that I've over-whisked the eggs. I pour it into an 8 in square tin. It takes 45 minutes at 150c, plus two hours' cooling time.

Looks: The layers are really clear - dark brown on top, caramel in the middle, and a rough-textured, pale biscuit base.

But lots of tiny bubbles have burst through the top, making it bumpy and uneven. I blame the extra air in the egg whites.

I try to disguise the bubbles by drizzling melted chocolate over the top.

Taste: The coffee isn't intense enough to give much of a flavour (the recipe only calls for 30 g), so it tastes a bit bland. The texture is more interesting - crunchy, then creamy, then smooth - and the combination of coffee and chocolate is very moreish.

Sorcery score: Not one to impress your friends, but it is comforting and indulgent.

2/5

KIDS' CLASSIC

Wasted on sticky-fingered children, these blueberry cupcakes are the best of the lot

Blueberry cupcakes: The triple-layer technique works just as well in cupcakes but, in these, fresh blueberries replace the cream layer.

Method: Make the standard cake batter but add a tablespoon of rose water before folding in the egg whites little by little.

It's a messy operation trying to ladle the mix into cupcake cases - and making sure each one has the same amount of egg white - and I end up spilling it everywhere.

Next, add blueberries - the recipe insists they will 'move into the middle of the cakes by themselves as they bake', but my avid Bake Off watching has shown me that heavy fruit tends to sink to the bottom of any cake.

The tray of 12 goes into the oven at 150c for 27 minutes.

Looks: As if by magic, the berries have settled into the middle.

Annoyingly, I can't see the fruits of my handiwork without taking the cupcakes out of their cases, which makes some of the edges collapse.

But it's worth it: the berries stand out like violet jewels on the pale yellow base, while the topping is crisp and brown.

Taste: There's no cream in these (the recipe calls for less milk and just two eggs, rather than four, so the layer simply doesn't form) and I was expecting them to be a little cardboardy. However, the juice from the berries gives the perfect burst of moisture.

Sorcery score: These look - and taste - the best of the lot. Wasted on sticky-fingered tots!

5/5

FRUITY FAVOURITE

This lemon cake tastes like a baked cheesecake is a refreshed twist of a classic and has a lemony tang

Lemon and poppy seed cake: A magic cake take on lemon drizzle, using a zingy lemon cream layer to stop it from drying out.

Method: Make the standard batter, adding poppy seeds with the flour and whisking the zest and juice of two lemons into the mix.

The citric acid in the lemon juice reacts with the milk to make the mixture seem curdled.

I struggle to get the egg whites to combine at all, eventually attacking the batter with a wooden spoon to force them together. The rest of the whites float in ugly clumps. I bake it in a 9.5 in tin for 50 minutes at 150c.

Looks: The poppy seeds spread throughout the two bottom layers, making them almost indistinguishable. But there's still a clear sponge on top.

The base doesn't solidify as much as in the other cakes (due to the extra moisture from the lemon juice), so it remains squidgy, while the top looks biscuity. It's saved by a generous serving of cream and lemon wedges on top, which makes it look like a tropical pavlova.

Taste: It's no lemon drizzle, but it's not far off - a sharp lemony tang cuts through the sweet sponge.

As it's chilled, it tastes more like a baked cheesecake or flan than a sponge, but dessert fans will love it.

Sorcery score: A refreshing twist on the classic, even if the layers are hard to spot.

3/5

THE SHOWSTOPPER

This red velvet cake looks like an autumn sunset and is dense and gooey like a scarlet brownie

Red velvet cake: This impressive number shows you can even make two-tiered cakes using the magic method, though you do have to sandwich them together yourself.

Method: I start with more fiddly vanilla seed extraction and leave them to infuse in a pan of hot milk.

The basic mixture is the same as ever, but there's some red food colouring to add (the traditional red velvet requires mashed beetroot, but this would be too dense to distribute evenly throughout the layers).

I combine this with the vanilla milk and whipped egg whites.

The lurid red shade reminds me of props from a bad horror film, and I'm not tempted to lick the bowl.

I divide the mixture between two 6 in tins and bake at 150c for 50 minutes, swapping them around in the oven halfway through to ensure an even bake.

Looks: Once cooked, it's a world away from the stomach-churning raw batter. Although the layers aren't very distinct, the effect is like an autumn sunset: intense maroon base fading to an orange centre and a pale, almost pink, sponge.

I stack the cakes and cover them with a mixture of mascarpone, whipped cream and icing sugar.

Taste: Dense and gooey at the bottom, like a scarlet brownie, then fudgy in the middle and light on top.

Sorcery score: It cast a spell over me. Now I need a magic wand to make those calories disappear.

4/5

Magic Cakes by Christelle Huet-Gomez (Hardie Grant, £9.99) is out now.